Xanana Gusmão's Speeches on Unity and Development Collected in ‘The Sky is Ours’
Today, December 6th, 2024, in the Great Hall of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, took place the official launch of the book “The Sky is Ours”, a work that brings together speeches and reflections by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, given between 2017 and 2024, on topics such as national unity, prosperity and sustainable development. 
“The Sky is Ours” reflects Timor-Leste's journey towards consolidating democracy, promoting social justice and preserving cultural identity. The book also addresses sustainable economic development and the strategic role of regional integration, with special emphasis on Timor-Leste's full membership of ASEAN.
The speeches that make up the book were compiled by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which was also responsible for its production.
In his speech opening the event, the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, praised Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão's journey, from the struggle for national liberation to the recent achievement of the process that led to the signing of the historic treaty that established the definitive maritime borders between Timor-Leste and Australia. 
The 9th Constitutional Government's Spokesperson, Minister Agio Pereira, emphasised in the book's introduction that “Xanana Gusmão's speeches, which we have selected and made available to the public [in this work], are a powerful illustration of the obstacles we have overcome and the successes we have achieved”.
The Minister also stressed that, for Xanana Gusmão, “the hard-won victory was only the beginning of a new struggle to build a political community which, while respecting the memory of its heroes, would immediately dare to fight for reconciliation between all Timorese and, overcoming old resentments, would promptly establish relations of cooperation and friendship with neighbouring peoples”. 
Several prominent personalities attended the launch, including the President of the National Parliament, the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, representatives of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), the Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste, members of the National Parliament, the Government, the diplomatic corps, as well as development partners. 
